“I was in charge of the ball-handling station,” Barnes said. “And I had a group of guys come through, and these guys are like wizards. And I’m thinking I’m a pretty good coach here, and these guys were picking it up real quick.”

Only later would he learn that the kid he’d been dazzled by was Miller, who even at that tender age could do things with a basketball that would take your breath away.

He was so good that in 1983 he was invited to show off his skills for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. Think Pete Maravich with a short haircut.

Fast-forward to 2009. Barnes and Miller were accomplished college basketball coaches by then — Barnes at Texas, Miller at Arizona.

This time when the two men spoke, the topic was less pleasant. Miller called to say it was his understanding that blue-chip recruit Daniel Bejarano was having second thoughts about a verbal commitment to UT.

“He said if it’s a situation that he’s not going to come to Texas, we’d like to be able to recruit him,” Barnes said. “I will tell you very few coaches will do that. Believe me, there is a lot that goes on for recruiting. The way he handled that situation just shows you how classy he is, and his integrity.”

Barnes and Miller are two of the relationships that tie Texas and Arizona together as the two teams play today with a berth in the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 on the line.

These days, programs are tied together on a variety of levels as kids and coaches cross paths time and again. From national television coverage to elite travel teams to coaches moving around, there are few strangers in the game.

For instance, there are Jordan Hamilton and Derrick Williams. Before they were stars at Texas and Arizona, respectively, they played AAU basketball together in Southern California and have known each other seemingly forever.

“We’re really good friends,” Hamilton said. “He’ll come over to my house and spend the night, do things like that. As far as high school, I played against him my junior year, and it was a really close game.”

Pals even before growth spurt

They last communicated after discovering their teams would be in the same bracket. Presumably they’ll speak this afternoon before the Longhorns and Wildcats play.

Williams has emerged as one of the best players in college, a 6-8, 240-pound forward who can play inside or outside, block shots, rebound, etc.

Hamilton remembers him as a 6-0 guard who was working to perfect his perimeter skills when he had a growth spurt.

When asked about Hamilton, Williams smiles and remembers a guy who never met a shot he wouldn’t take.

“He was just gunning, just shooting everything,” Williams said. “But that’s just how he is. He has that mentality. He has a killer instinct, and he wants to go for 40 every night. Most people think he’s really cocky just because of the way he acts on the court. But off the court he’s a great guy. His family are all great people, too.”

Hamilton has worked hard to refine his game and become more than a shooter. When the Longhorns were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year, Hamilton went around the locker room apologizing for his play and promising to be different this season.

Barnes refined his offensive sets after summer sessions with Bob Knight and then-Utah Jazz assistant Phil Johnson. And when Hamilton found a smaller man on him during Friday’s Oakland game, he didn’t hesitate to put the ball on the floor and take it into the paint.

When fans watch Williams today, they might notice some of Hamilton’s influence.

Not friends on the court today

“I think Derrick will tell you Jordan was the focal point growing up and Derrick was kind of his understudy,” Miller said. “So from that perspective, it’s interesting that now both are marquee players at their respective schools.

“The one thing that’s so different about today is, I feel like every player on our team knows every player on the other team just because of the way that the travel teams (are) organized. They’re playing nationally in the spring, nationally in the summer and sometimes even in the fall. ... Back in the day when I played, you didn’t even talk to the other team. These guys, they know each other. They’ve played against each other and sometimes with each other.”

Williams and Hamilton say they’ll still be friends regardless of who wins today.

“It was just crazy how they put us in Tulsa together,” Hamilton said. “And now that we’re playing against each other, it’s going to be like a reunion. But there are no friends out there on the court until afterwards. So as of right now, he’s not my friend.”